Campaigners urge end to 30-year-old £500,000 cap on criminal injuries compensation

Campaigners are urging an end to the 30-year freeze on the maximum compensation available to victims of violent crime, arguing the £500,000 cap set in April 1996 no longer covers lifetime care and lost earnings. The award, administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), is reserved for people with severe, life-changing injuries such as brain damage and paralysis.

It is intended to fund care and support long term, particularly where injuries prevent victims from working. New figures suggest that if the maximum had kept pace with inflation, it would now be £1,015,000 — more than double the current limit. One campaigner described the existing cap as an “insult” to victims and families.

Those affected, along with lawyers, say payouts risk running out and eroding quality of life. Among them is Craig Lewis-Williams, 50, from North Wales, who suffered brain damage after he was attacked while walking home in November 2021. He was left unable to walk or swallow and has memory problems.

He later had a stroke during treatment, resulting in paralysis down his left side. He is fed through a tube and receives care visits six times a day. His attacker, Adam Chamberlin, from Llay, was jailed for more than a year after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm.

Mr Lewis-Williams received the maximum CICA award on appeal, but his wife, Anna, 45, fears it will not be enough. She said specialist equipment and an adapted van will need replacing over time and are costly, adding: “It’s not going to last.” She noted he has potentially 25 to 30 years ahead of him and pointed to rising prices and wider cost pressures.

Nichola, from north-west England, has similar concerns for her adopted teenage daughter, Lou, who has learning difficulties caused by brain damage linked to drug exposure before and after birth. While Lou attends a mainstream school, she faces mental processing difficulties, mood disorders and behavioural conditions.

Nichola said assessments indicate Lou may struggle to maintain long-term employment, meaning any compensation “has got to last her a lifetime,” possibly for many decades.

She warned that intermittent work and lower pay can translate into smaller pensions, leaving the loss of earnings over a full life “not adding up.” Neil Sugarman, a lawyer and former president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, said the 30th anniversary of the cap should be a “wake-up call”.

Victims and their advocates are pressing for the maximum award to be lifted to reflect the real cost of lifelong care and support.